Central West End Church

Even though we live in a morally relativistic culture, the problem of evil is still a problem. What do we do with that? Does God have a solution? The wilderness temptation of Jesus shows us. 

There’s something about life in this world that always leaves us wanting more, but we feel cut off from it. Why is that, and what do we do with it? The big story of the Bible explains why we feel cut off and what God does about it. 

We can find life and hope under the reign of the one true King.

God led Israel in the wilderness for 40 years. Why? Because the wilderness is a place of suffering. And suffering is one of the main ways, if not the main way, you meet God. 

It’s easy to think of God’s law as an arbitrary set of rules we must obey to get God to love us. But this passage shows us it’s actually a picture of what it looks like to live inside the story of what God is already doing in our lives and the world. 

Whatever story you believe about the world shapes your life in the world. The Bible gives us a story that sets us free and transforms us. The Exodus story shows us how. 

Salvation is a culturally loaded term, but it’s simply another way of talking about transformation. And often we don’t just long for transformation, we groan for it. This passage helps us understand both our groaning and our longing. 

The Bible is God’s autobiography. What God says and does in the story reveals His nature and character. Christians worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all in one. Knowing the Bible’s whole story is the best way to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Exile and homecoming is one of the main themes in the Bible. With all the progress we’ve made in the world, why are we still so unhappy? And is there any remedy? This passage shows us.